This invention relates to fiber reinforced polymer ( FRP grating ), and more specifically, to fiber reinforced polymer composite panels for structural support systems and a method of manufacturing thereof This invention also relates to lightweight FRP composite panels composed of reinforced fibers and matrix resin, configured for infrastructure and constructed facilities such as elevated highway structures and wall and decking systems.

Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) paneling is a durable wall covering. During the FRP installation process, the panels must be cut to fit on the wall. The composition of FRP panels requires the use of special carbide tipped saw blades to perform the cut. Proper safety equipment is essential to guard against flying debris, cuts and inhaling the FRP Pultruded profiles dust.Structural panels are continually needed in constructing and repairing walls, floors, decking, bridges, roofs, and the like. In the prior art, conventional construction materials, e.g., steel, concrete, and wood, are used for high performance deck and wall structures because such materials typically have a high load bearing capacity.

There are several disadvantages associated with using such conventional construction materials in structural panels. First, such structural panels have a short service life in that they degrade over time: steel panels corrode, concrete panels spall, and wood panels rot. Second, such structural panels tend to be very heavy in order to achieve the required load bearing capacity for the specific application. Third, such structural panels require a long time for creation and because they are typically built and installed on site.
Put on your safety glasses, particulate respirator and leather gloves.Stretch the tape measure along the FRP beam and place a mark along one edge of the FRP panel with the carpenter's pencil at the length you need to cut. Repeat the process to place a corresponding mark on the opposite edge of the FRP sheet.

To accommodate some of the disadvantages with conventional construction materials, the prior art includes fiber reinforced polymer ( FRP) composite materials made with a honeycomb core and an outer skin. In addition, panels made of conventional FRP composite materials have lineal profiles mainly reinforced with continuous fibers in the axial direction.

There are several disadvantages associated with using such conventional FRP materials in structural panels. First, although conventional FRP composite materials are lightweight, they lack the required load-bearing capacity to handle high performance deck and wall structures. Therefore, conventional FRP composite materials are used only for light duty floor systems and building panels. Second, conventional FRP ladder composite panels often develop moisture ingress and resin-dominated failure with respect to the honeycomb core and an outer skin. Third, the lineal profile and use of continuous fibers in the axial direction result in a reduced load bearing capacity.

Lay the FRP panel flat on a table that is large enough to support the entire length of the FRP panel.Snap a line between the two pencil marks with the chalk line.Secure the carbide circular saw blade to the circular saw.Pull the marked line over the edge of the table.Align the carbide circular saw blade with the chalk line that you snapped in the previous step, depress the trigger of the circular saw and slowly push the blade into the FRP panel.

Therefore, there is a need for a FRP composite panel that is lightweight, yet has a high load rating due to high strength to weight ratio. There is a further need for a FRP composite panel that has a long service life due to its resistance to corrosion. There is still a further need for a FRP grating composite panel that is easy and quick to erect and become operational.

There is also a need for a FRP composite deck system that is lightweight, yet can withstand the heavy loads associated with highway bridges and decking systems. The FRP composite deck systems must also have a long service life and be prefabricated to allow for easy and quick installation. Slowly push the carbide blade across the FRP panel, while keeping the blade aligned with the chalk line.Place the sharp edge of the utility against the cut edge of the FRP, tilt the blade on a 15-degree angle and drag the knife along the cut to remove any burr remaining from the cutting process. Do not push the blade along the cut--this will damage the FRP panel.

A hybrid of vinyl flooring and soft cushioned carpet is provided. The hybrid flooring, which is suitable for production into tiles, utilizes woven PVC fabric that is bonded to a flexible backing. The fabric comprises woven solid color and/or multi-color yarns in order to produce different visual styles. These yarns comprise a ceramic fiber core, preferably Fiberglass fabric , onto which PVC is extruded in order to form a PVC jacket. The core provides the yarn with sufficient tensile strength so it can be woven while the PVC provides durability, resistance to wear and color. After the fabric is woven, it is sent through a tentering or curing oven which fuses the warp and fill yarns of the fabric, thereby stabilizing the fabric, preserving its integrity and preventing it from unraveling.

The invention is directed to a new type of resilient tile flooring, which is essentially a hybrid of a hard surfaced long-wearing vinyl flooring and a soft cushioned carpet.

Floor coverings are used in both residential and commercial buildings. For durability, hard surfaced floor coverings are used, such as vinyl flooring, ceramic and marble. Such floor coverings are typically long lasting and easy to clean or mop, but are “hard” on one's feet. Carpeting, on the other hand, and which may be tufted or woven, is soft to walk on, but is less durable and may be both difficult and expensive to clean.

A hybrid of vinyl flooring and carpet has been available for several years and comprises woven PVC (polyvinylchloride) fabric bonded to a backing. The fabric is made of a polyester core and a PVC cover or jacket.

However, the use of a polyester core for Fiberglass fabrics tiles is not completely advantageous. While polyester is suitable if the flooring is sold in a roll form, the tile form has the disadvantage of the polyester coming out along the edges of the individual tiles during wear; in other words, the polyester begins to rip out of the PVC jacket through normal everyday wear and foot traffic. This phenomenon is known as “fuzzing.”

To correct this problem, ultrasonic cutters have been utilized to melt the polyester, but have been found not to be accurate enough. Laser cutters have also been attempted, but a laser cutter would typically burn the edge of the tiles and leave a singed edge. The most obvious solution would be to glue the edge of the tiles once they are placed down as a flooring, but this could be very difficult and time consuming; moreover, the glue would likely break down over time. Gluing also defeats the intent of easily replacing tile for maintenance or other purposes.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to produce a woven PVC flooring which may be backed to a backing, and which overcomes these disadvantages.
Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a hybrid of vinyl flooring and soft cushioned carpet is provided. The hybrid flooring utilizes woven PVC fabric that is bonded to a flexible backing. The fabric comprises woven solid color and/or multi-color yarns in order to produce different visual styles. These yarns comprise a ceramic fiber core, preferably Fiberglass mat , onto which PVC is extruded in order to form a PVC jacket. The core provides the yarn with sufficient tensile strength so it can be woven while the PVC provides durability, resistance to wear and color. After the fabric is woven, it is sent through a tentering or curing oven which fuses the warp and fill yarns of the fabric, thereby stabilizing the fabric, preserving its integrity and preventing it from unraveling.

Significantly, the Fiberglass fabric manufacturer core is brittle (substantially weaker than polyester) and therefore does not “fuzz”—in other words, it easily breaks off from the edges of the tiles if it is exposed during normal wear, thereby maintaining a neat physical appearance.

The inventive floor is abrasion resistant, and it does not show or exhibit any surface dullness, surface attack or color change when exposed to household chemicals.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved flooring system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flooring system which provides a cushioned underfoot, yet is both durable and wipeable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flooring system which can be produced in tile form.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

 

 

source:freepatentsonline

This invention relates to fiber reinforced polymer ( FRP), and more specifically, to lightweight fiber reinforced polymer composite decks for structural support systems and to a method of manufacturing said FRP grating . The lightweight FRP composite decks are composed of reinforced fibers and matrix resin, configured for infrastructure and constructed facilities such as elevated highway structures and wall and decking systems.

To accommodate some of the disadvantages with conventional construction materials, the prior art includes fiber reinforced polymer ( FRP) composite materials made with a honeycomb core and an outer skin. In addition, panels made of conventional FRP composite materials have lineal profiles mainly reinforced with continuous fibers in the axial direction.

There are several disadvantages associated with using such conventional FRP materials in structural panels. First, although conventional FRP composite materials are lightweight, they lack the required load-bearing capacity to handle high performance deck and wall structures. Therefore, conventional FRP composite materials are used only for light duty floor systems and building panels. Second, conventional FRP composite panels often develop moisture ingress and resin-dominated failure with respect to the honeycomb core and an outer skin. Third, the lineal profile and use of continuous fibers in the axial direction result in a reduced load bearing capacity.

Therefore, there is a need for a FRP composite panel that is lightweight, yet has a high load rating due to high strength to weight ratio. There is a further need for a FRP composite panel that has a long service life due to its resistance to corrosion. There is still a further need for a FRP composite panel that is easy and quick to erect and become operational.

There is also a need for a FRP manufacturer deck system that is lightweight, yet can withstand the heavy loads associated with highway bridges and decking systems. The FRP composite deck systems must also have a long service life and be prefabricated to allow for easy and quick installation.

Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) paneling is a durable wall covering. During the FRP installation process, the panels must be cut to fit on the wall. The composition of FRP panels requires the use of special carbide tipped saw blades to perform the cut. Proper safety equipment is essential to guard against flying debris, cuts and inhaling the FRP dust.
Stretch the tape measure along the FRP sheet and place a mark along one edge of the FRP panel with the carpenter's pencil at the length you need to cut. Repeat the process to place a corresponding mark on the opposite edge of the FRP beam .

The present invention solves the problems associated with conventional structural panels by providing a fiber reinforced polymer ( FRP) composite panel. A FRP composite panel comprises a plurality of components, joined through a shear key system that provides an extensive bonding surface and a mechanical interlock. Each component is further comprised of a plurality of cells, each cell having four or more sides wherein at least two adjacent sides intersect at an obtuse angle, offset from ninety (90) degrees.

The fiber architecture of the components comprises multiple layers of multi-axial stitched fabrics, unidirectional rovings, woven cloth, and mats used as reinforcements. The fiber architecture develops fiber continuity between the cell components and provides adequate fiber reinforcement along main stress paths.

The cross sectional cellular shape and fiber architecture of the FRP ladder of the present invention provide distinct advantages over the prior art. First, the FRP composite panels of the present invention provide a lightweight, strong and durable structure that will not corrode like steel, spall like concrete, or rot like wood. Therefore, the panels of the present invention have a long service life and a reduced maintenance cost due to these fatigue and corrosion resistant properties.

Lay the FRP panel flat on a table that is large enough to support the entire length of the FRP panel.
Align the carbide circular saw blade with the chalk line that you snapped in the previous step, depress the trigger of the circular saw and slowly push the blade into the FRP panel.
Slowly push the carbide blade across the FRP panel, while keeping the blade aligned with the chalk line.
Place the sharp edge of the utility against the cut edge of the FRP, tilt the blade on a 15-degree angle and drag the knife along the cut to remove any burr remaining from the cutting process. Do not push the blade along the cut--this will damage the FRP panel .

Second, the FRP composite panels of the present invention have enhanced load bearing and interlocking capacity as compared to conventional FRP floor systems and building panes. The high load ratings are due to the high strength to weight ratio of the panels, resulting in a panel of the present invention having 3 to 4 times the load capacity of a reinforced concrete deck with only twenty percent (20%) of the weight. Further, stiffness of an FRP composite panel in the direction perpendicular to traffic is adequate to provide the transverse load distribution to supporting beams.

Third, the fiber architecture of the present invention is reinforced with heavy multi-axial stitched fabrics, continuous rovings woven cloth and mats resulting in superior mechanical properties as compared to existing FRP composite lineal profiles. In addition, the composite fiber architecture overcomes the problems associated to moisture ingress and resin-dominated failure observed in panels with honeycomb core and outer skins.

A laminated fiberglass fabric composition is prepared by laminating a non-woven fabric to a knitted or woven fiberglass fabric with a plastisol laminating adhesive. Heat compressing the assembled materials envelops the individual fiberglass yarns with the non-woven fabric producing a fabric composition which is highly resistant to damage caused by severe twisting or flexing forces applied to the fabric. The use of a flame resistant laminating adhesive imparts flame resistant to these fabric compositions.

First, figure how much fiberglass cloth you will need and how quickly you need it. If you need only a small amount of fiberglass cloth to do a repair, (such as a boat patch or auto-body repair) you can buy this material at a local auto parts or boat supply store.
Figure out what kind of fiberglass cloth you will need. If it is a heavy-duty application, you will want a cloth that is over "24 oz". If it is for a light cosmetic repair, 8-12oz fiberglass fabrics will be suitable.

This invention relates to fiberglass fabrics. More particularly, it relates to a fiberglass fabric laminated so as to prevent or to at least substantially eliminate abrading of the individual fiberglass yarns against each other. This invention especially relates to fiberglass fabrics laminated with flame resistant materials so as to prevent or at least substantially eliminate abrading of the fiberglass fabric.

During the production of fiberglass filaments, a protective coating or sizing is applied to the individual filaments to reduce the tendency of the filaments to abrade when brought into close contact. A protective coating is also required during later processing when the fiberglass filaments are woven or knitted into fabric. However, this coating provides only a small measure of protection in the variety of end uses in which the fiberglass fabrics manufacturer are employed. Thus, when these woven or knitted fabrics are subjected to repeated twisting or flexing, the fiberglass yarns forming the fabric abrade and cut against each other often causing the fabric to fail.

Fabrics find a variety of uses in industry. Sensitive industrial equipment, such as computers, often require dust-proof wrappers and coverings during transit, storage and periods of prolonged down time to protect the equipment from damage which would necessitate costly repair. Fire resistant fabrics find use as fire wall blankets or in protective screening used during such processes as welding. Industrial clothing, such as uniforms, coveralls, jackets, coats and other protective coverings, are prepared from a variety of fabrics to provide protection to industrial workers from chemicals, fire and other industrial hazards. Although fiberglass fabric possesses properties such as high tensile strength, inertness and flame resistance which makes it a candidate for some or perhaps all of the above industrial uses, the individual fiberglass fibers tend to abrade against each other when subjected to flexing and twisting which can cause failure of the fiberglass fabric. This property detracts somewhat from its use as an industrial fabric.

So you figured out how much Fiberglass mat you need, and its more then a just small amount. Do an online search for "composite material suppliers", and visit the various websites that sell fiberglass.
Call the companies directly and compare costs. Be sure to ask for details on on fiberglass fabric weight, width of fabric, and shipping costs.

It is an object of this invention to provide a fiberglass fabric which will be highly resistant to damage from severe twisting or flexing of the fabric.

It is another object of this invention to provide a flame resistant fabric which will provide protection from high temperatures, molten metals, and open flames.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an industrial fabric which will provide long wear life when subjected to severe working conditions which often cause ripping and tearing of industrial clothing. In accordance with the present invention it has been found that a superior industrial fabric can be prepared by laminating a porous fiberglass fabric  with a platisol laminating adhesive and a non-woven fabric whereby the yarns in the fiberglass fabric are enveloped with non-woven fabric.

A multi-panel system for making a sign blank, comprising: at least a first and a second Pultruded profiles fiberglass sign panels, each panel having: (a) a sign side having a substantially flat sign surface; (b) a back side having a first edge and a second edge that are parallel and located on opposite ends of the backside; (c) a first channel end protruding outwardly from the first edge of the backside forming an angle of about 90° with the back side, wherein a distal end of the first channel protrusion is furthest away from the back side; (d) a second channel end protruding outwardly from the second edge of the backside forming an angle of about 90° with the back side, wherein a distal end of the second channel protrusion is furthest away from the back side; wherein, the first channel end of the first pultruded fiberglass sign panel is fastened substantially adjacent to the second pultruded fiberglass sign panel; the first and the second pultruded fiberglass sign panels are connected lengthwise along the second edge of the first channel end of the first pultruded fiberglass sign panel and the first edge of the second channel end of the second Pultruded profiles fiberglass sign panel forming the substantially flat sign surface on the sign side of the multi-panel system and forming the mounting surface on the distal ends of the first and second channel protrusions.

This invention relates to compositions and methods of making pultruded fiberglass sign panels, in particular, a pultruded fiberglass sign panel having an overall and cross-section designs that are useful for replacing aluminum allow highway signs. The compositions and methods of the current invention produce lighter, stronger, less expansion and contraction, and less expensive sign panels when compared to similar extruded aluminum sign panels, steel panels, or wood sign panels. Additionally, a fiberglass reinforced polymer material that useful for making sign panels can be made from recycled or virgin materials.

Highway Signs. The United States has over 6.3 million kilometers (“km”) of highways crisscrossing the nation's landscape. This number includes about 4.1 million km of paved roads (including 74,406 km of expressways) and about 2.2 million km of unpaved roads. Information signage is located on nearly every kilometer of this immense network of roads, as well as roads in countries around the globe.

Many years ago, the material of choice that was used for highway signage in the United States was wood. However, since the mid 1960's, there has been a shift in the use of signage material toward the current standard of aluminum. This shift was due primarily because an aluminum sign has many superior qualities when compared to a similarly sized wood sign, including increased strength, decreased weight, and longer durability. In contrast, the disadvantages to aluminum signage is the variable cost of aluminum material itself, and the increasing cost of alodizing the aluminum alloys to increase their corrosion resistance and to improve their paint bonding qualities. For example, since 2002, the cost of aluminum has increased about 60% and the cost of Alodizing aluminum has increased more than 25%. Furthermore, aluminum has little or no resistance to impact deformation. There is a need in the highway sign industry to replacement aluminum as a choice material.

Fiberglass reinforced polymers (“ FRP”) are primarily made from glass and resin. Because the glass component can be made from sand or recycled glass,  FRP grating is a much cheaper raw material than typical aluminum alloys. Additionally, a finished sign made from FRP requires fewer processing steps when compared to signs made from aluminum, which further reduces the cost of sign manufacturing.

Additionally the current invention comprises a pultruded fiberglass sign panel having a cross-section as shown in FIG. 3B, 3C, 8 A, 9 A, 9 B, or 10 . The construction materials of the pultruded fiberglass sign panel are (a) a glass roving; (b) glass reinforcement matt; and (c) a resin matrix, and the total glass content comprises an amount of glass contained in both the glass roving and the glass reinforcement matt. In a preferred embodiment, the glass content of the pultruded fiberglass sign is about 56% to about 58% by weight or about 38% to about 40% by volume. The glass content of the pultruded fiberglass sign is in the range of about 0% to 100% recycled glass, preferably about 16% by weight or 35% by volume of recycled glass. In a second preferred embodiment, the resin matrix comprises thermoset Isophthalic polyester that is about 42% to about 44% by weight or about 60% to about 62% by volume. The resin matrix of the pultruded Fiberglass mat comprises about 5% to about 50% of a recycled resin matrix, preferably about 7% by weight to about 15% by volume of a recycled resin matrix. The glass reinforcement matt used in the pultruded fiberglass sign panel comprises a hybrid E/A glass reinforcement matt. In a third preferred embodiment, the pultruded fiberglass sign panel has a panel width of about 6 inches to about 36 inches, and a length of about 1 foot to about 50 feet.

Generally, pultrusion is a manufacturing process for producing continuous lengths of fiber reinforced polymers (“ FRP”) structural shapes. Raw materials include a liquid resin mixture (containing resin, fillers and specialized additives) and reinforcing fibers. The process involves pulling these raw materials (rather than pushing as is the case in extrusion) through a heated steel forming die using a continuous pulling device. The reinforcement materials are in continuous forms such as rolls of fiberglass mat or doffs of fiberglass roving. As the reinforcements are saturated with the resin mixture (“wet-out”) in the resin impregnator and pulled through the die, the gelation (or hardening) of the resin is initiated by the heat from the die and a rigid, cured profile is formed that corresponds to the shape of the forming die.

While pultrusion machine design varies with part geometry, the basic pultrusion process structures contain rovings, continuous strand mat, guide plates, resin impregnators, surface veils, preformers, forming and curing dies, pulling systems and cut-off saws.

The creels position the reinforcements for subsequent feeding into the guides. The reinforcement must be located properly within the composite and controlled by the reinforcement guides.

The resin impregnator saturates (wets out) the reinforcement with a solution containing the resin, fillers, pigment, and catalyst plus any other additives required. The interior of the resin impregnator is carefully designed to optimize the “wet-out” (complete saturation) of the reinforcements.

On exiting the resin impregnator, the reinforcements are organized and positioned for the eventual placement within the cross section form by the preformer. The preformer is an array of tooling which squeezes away excess resin as the product is moving forward and gently shapes the materials prior to entering the die. In the die the thermosetting reaction is heat activated (energy is primarily supplied electrically) and the composite is cured (hardened).

On exiting the die, the Pultruded profiles is pulled to the saw for cutting to length. It is usually necessary to cool the hot part before it is gripped by the pull block (made of durable urethane foam) to prevent cracking and/or deformation by the pull blocks. There are at least two distinct pulling systems: a caterpillar counter-rotating type and a hand-over-hand reciprocating type.

In certain applications, a radio frequency (“RF”) wave generator can be used to preheat the composite before entering the die. When in use, the RF heater is generally positioned between the resin impregnator and the preformer. RF is generally only used with an all roving part.

Pultruded structures are high strength components, and are typically stronger than structural steel on a pound-for-pound basis. For example, such parts have been used to form the superstructures of multistory buildings, walkways, sub-floors and platforms. Pultrusions are typically about 20-25% the weight of steel and about 70% the weight of aluminum. Pultruded products are easily transported, handled and lifted into place. Total structures can often be preassembled and shipped to the job site ready for installation. Pultruded products will not rot and are impervious to a broad range of corrosive elements. This feature makes pultrusions a natural selection for indoor or outdoor structures in pulp and paper mills, chemical plants, water and sewage treatment plants, structures near salt water and other corrosive environments. Pultruded products are generally transparent to radio waves, microwaves and other electromagnetic frequencies. The coefficient of thermal expansion of pultruded products is slightly less than steel and significantly less than aluminum. Glass fiber reinforced pultrusions exhibit excellent mechanical properties at very low temperatures, even −70° F. Tensile strength and impact strengths are greater at −70° F. than at +80° F. FRP Pultruded profiles are pigmented throughout the thickness of the part and can be made to virtually any desired custom color. Special surfacing veils are also available to create special surface appearances such as wood grain, marble, granite, etc. Glass reinforced pultrusions can also be manufactured from recycled glass.

In a preferred embodiment, a FRP pultruded sign panel, as shown 200 in FIG. 2A, is one panel of the modular system for forming a sign blank in accordance with this invention. Multiple modular sign panels would be provided and joined together to form as large a sign blank as shown in 203 of FIG. 2B or completed information sign 205 of FIG. 2C.

A cross section of a preferred FRP pultruded sign panel blanks can be produced in different widths. FIG. 3B shows a cross-section of a pultrusion panel having two mounting or fastener channels 220 , which can be produced in different widths (e.g. 6, 12, 24 or 36 inches in width). FIG. 3A show an enlarged view of the sign panel edge. FIG. 3C shows a cross-section of a pultrusion panel having a single mounting or fastener channel 220 , which also can be produced in different widths (e.g. about 3-36 inches in width). FIG. 3D shows a perspective view of a pultrusion panel having two mounting channels, and FIG. 3E shows a perspective view of a pultrusion panel having one mounting channels.

 

 

from:freepatentsonline

The present invention relates to fiberglass mats which are usually provided in sheet form and may be marketed in a roll or formed into desired shapes. The fiberglass mats on the market today generally consist of a base of chopped glass fibers ranging in length from 1/4" to 11/4" and diameters ranging between 9 and 16 microns. The chopped glass fibers are usually bonded together by a suitable bonding agent, such as urea resins, phenolic resins, bone glue, polyvinyl alcohols, etc. Preferably, the bonding agent is water resistant. The glass fibers and the bonding agent are usually formed into a mat having a production width of approximately 36" to 48". The mat is passed through an oven in order to cure the bonding agent. There are two generally accepted methods today for making fiberglass mat: the dry method and the wet method.

In the dry method, elongated yarn strands, which are usually continuous, are often placed in the center area of the mat or sheet to provide tear resistance. Such an arrangement, however, has the disadvantage of causing layering, i.e., a separation of the mat into a plurality of laminae or sheets. This is caused by the central layer of yarns weakening the mat in mechanical strength and destroying its homogeneity, thus causing or allowing easy separation of the mat into two or more parts.

Fiberglass mats have a thousand different uses. From making speaker or amplifier boxes for the car or home, to patching holes in car bodies, and making hood or side scoops for your auto. Once hardened, it is easily sandable and shapeable into any form or size that is needed for any project.

The wet process has been developed over the past few years in order to be able to produce fiberglass mat at a far more rapid rate than is available using the dry process. Initially, the process was developed to produce a product having only chopped fibers and bonding agent. Consequently, there was no significant tear strength in any direction for any suitable product. In many areas of the world, such as Europe, such mat is quite satisfactory for being transformed into roofing. Since construction proceeeds at a more leisurely pace in those areas, the handling of roofing materials is far more gentle and not so much strength is needed in the product. In this country, however, roofing must be produced at about three times the rate as it is produced in Europe and the resulting products must be strong enough to withstand the rough handling required by speed in application.

Consequently, it has become very desirable to be able to produce a fiberglass mat by the wet process having strength which at least meets and preferably exceeds that available through the dry process, such as taught by Hogendobler, et al.

As a further problem discovered in the prior art products, it has been found that there are some instances in which it is highly undesirable to use reinforcing strands which are installed in a straight line along the length of the mat being produced. During the production of matting, the strands are drawn from the spools by some mechanism and applied to the location of initial mat formation. As these strands are drawn from the spools, there is a possibility that, occasionally, the strand will "hang-up" temporarily until it can be pulled free by continued application of a pulling force. Such a hang-up might be caused, for example, by a slight snag in the line which causes it to bind against an adjacent winding of the strand on the spool. When this occurs, tension can be imposed on the entire line up to the point at which curing has finally occurred in the oven.

This is closely analogous to what happens to a fishing line when a fisherman raises the tip of his rod to impose tension on the line. In the production of Fiberglass fabric , this imposition of tension on the longitudinal strand, even momentarily, usually causes a disruption and disorientation of the chopped fibers. Such disruption may occur in the fibers both above and below the strand. The result is a line of weakening extending along the entire mat from the point of finished curing to the initial mat formation location. It is very difficult to discern this line of weakening caused by such "fishlining".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

to Lay Fiberglass Mat:
1.Use your power sander to sand around the hole on the car. It does not have to be perfect, but must be roughed up more than anything.
2.Mix up a batch of resin in a bowl, using the putty knife to stir with. The resin will be a 2-part mixture with a bonding agent and a hardener. Mix per instructions, but remember, this is a chemical reaction, so the warmer it is when this is applied, the quicker it will set up and harden.
3.Spread your mix in and around the hole that needs to be patched. Cover all the area that you have sanded.
4.Place your fiberglass matting over the resin. It will instantly stick to the area.
5.Place another coat of resin over the top of the fiberglass.
6.Let the fiberglass and resin dry. Give it a good hour to make sure that it is entirely set.
7.Use your power sander to smooth out the edges of the fiberglass matting. If you need to apply more matting to cover or even out the area around the hole, add another piece using more resin and fiberglass mat manufacturer .
8.Sand the patch smooth with your power sander. To get it glass smooth, you can use different grades of sand paper to smooth it out or shape it as necessary.

Carbon Fibre Composites for Orthopaedics

The project dealt with a fairly advanced technology for developing lighter external fixators, made of polyethersulphone reinforced with carbon fibre as lightweight substitute to steel rings for repairing & realignment of bones.

These fixator rings offer certain advantages like high strength-to-weight ratio, transparency to X-ray etc. Baby rings, foot rings, Italian femoral arches, long & short connection plates, carbon fibre rods, limb re-constructive system etc. were developed successfully. Commercial production of external fixators has commenced & the products are being marketed in India & abroad. The project having met all its objectives has been declared successful.

FRP beams for Railway Girder Bridges

Polymer composite sleepers were designed and developed to replace the existing wooden and steel channel sleepers on girder bridges. Full-length sleepers were successfully tested for Load test, Pulsating test, Fatigue test and Dynamic Panel test.

The sleepers are cheaper than its wooden counterpart. FRP beam offer certain critical advantages like good rail holding, electrical resistivity & anti-corrosive properties, bearing toughness & vibration absorption characteristics and offer material qualities superior to that of any conventional materials used so far.

Indian Railways have inducted 88 nos. sleepers for carrying out field trials in four locations. On successful completion of the field trials, the railways have decided to induct the FRP sleepers on a large-scale by 2002.
Development of Composite Artificial Limbs for Physically Handicapped

The project dealt with developing composite endoskeleton type below-knee artificial limb. The artificial limbs developed under the project are light-weight and better in control & appearance with improved gait for the patients. Composite artificial limbs should find wider acceptance among developing countries.

The artificial limb consists of five parts: a FRP beam structure fabricated by filament winding of glass fibre in epoxy matrix, top & bottom connectors made by injection moulding of glass filled nylon, a polyurethane foot with composite keel embedded in it and a polypropylene socket to accommodate the amputee stump.

The socket made of polypropylene is patient specific and does not create any problems like pressure sores even for diabetic patients. The FRP tube connects the socket to the foot. All the five parts and the socket are adjustable to meet individual requirements and to take care of static & dynamic alignment patterns.

A very innovative design approach was adopted for designing FRP grating for providing improved strength & flexibility in the foot piece. All the components of the limb were designed on the basis of theoretical analysis using CAD software (CSA/NASTRAN) for typical compression loads at different angles, momentary impact etc.

The evaluation of individual components and also of the entire endoskeleton assembly for compressive & bending strength were carried out. A simulated endurance test was conducted for 5-year service life of the artificial limb. More than 700 patients have been fitted with these limbs in & around Chennai.

The endoskeleton type below-knee artificial limb developed by Mohana Orthotics was awarded the prestigious National R&D Award 2001 by the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Govt. of India.
  FRP Toilet units for Railway Coaches

The project launched in partnership with M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works, Vadodara has been a collaborative effort by a multi-agency task force involving the Industrial Design Centre & Dept. of Aerospace Engineering of IIT – Bombay, RDSO-Lucknow, RCF-Kapurthala, ICF-Chennai and Carriage Repair Workshop of Western Railway, Mumbai.

The FRP toilet unit consists of four parts : the flooring trough, two L-shaped side-walls & roof. All the four parts are fastened together with self-tightening screws at the mating faces and their assembling is done inside the coach. The salient features are :
Pultruded profiles FRP frame on all four sides of the door. Proper ventilation arrangement in the toilet on the window side-wall and the lower part of the door. Improved anti-skid PVC sheet with anti-abrasion properties for the flooring. Concealed plumbing FRP door for toilet with sandwich construction.

The FRP toilet is light in weight, corrosion resistant, fire retardant, has longer life with easy maintainability. Being modular in design, the whole toilet unit can be installed in 3-4 hours inside the coach.

Four nos. FRP toilet units were fitted to an AC-II Tier coach of Rajdhani Express (Delhi-Mumbai) in October 2001. The coach fitted with composite toilets has been operating on regular basis. Further, 36 nos. FRP toilets were fitted to Jan Shatabdi Express (Mumbai-Madgaon) in April 2002. The Indian Railways have decided to induct FRP ladders for retrofitting in old coaches as well as for new trains.

The project bagged the Certificate of Merit under the prestigious National Award for Excellence in Consultancy Services-2001 given by the Consultancy Development Centre of the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Govt. of India.

It is evident from the above that excellent economic advantage & technology implications in terms of creating material with superior properties, substituting costlier/scarce materials, developing value-added applications and most importantly, business volume generation could be accomplished for a few select composite products & applications in India.

  Composites Design Centres

The Mission also attempted spearheading technology incubation by setting up twoComposite Design Centre. These are the Composite Design Centre at RV College of Engineering, Bangalore and Composite Technology Centre (COMPTEC) at IIT, Chennai.

These Centres are engaged in evolving design standard for selective composite products, prototype development, developing design modules & related software packages for composite products. They are actively involved in diffusion of technology and their services among the Indian composite industries.

The CDC at Bangalore functions as an independent technology incubation agency. They have designed and developed over 180 composite products with potential applications in housing and industrial sectors. The technology for FRP door based on a low-cost sandwich technology, has been transferred to fifty industries by the Centre.

CDC on completion of initial technology development activity, works out the project economics, prepares the detailed technology transfer document and imparts all the necessary support to an entrepreneur for technology absorption thus encompassing the entire spectrum of technology incubation.

The technology transfer package involves direct hands-on training for the entrepreneurs, assistance in equipment & material procurement and also marketing support. The Centre has been approached by Govt. of Karnataka to set up a composite technology park near Bangalore.

The Centre at IIT-Madras is providing technical support services such as product design consultancy, prototype development to the industries, supporting continuing education programmes etc. The credibility of the centre has been established amongst various composites industries in the country.

The composite study modules, prepared by the Centre, are being disseminated to the industries on payment basis. Testing & characterization equipment viz. differential scanning calorimeter, dynamic mechanical analyzer & simultaneous thermo-gravimetric analyzer & differential thermal analyzer have been installed and utilized the characterization & testing equipment for carrying out various testing assignments from the industries on chargeable basis.

These Centres are excellent examples of technology incubation & demonstration for composite products & services. The design centre at Bangalore has already been invited by the Government of Bangladesh to set up similar Centre near Dhaka. The Centre has also been interacting closely with the industries for providing design & technical Consultancy on innovative process technology.

 

 

from:tifac

Fibreglass windows were first produced in Canada in 1984, were subsequently introduced to the USA and European markets and are becoming increasingly popular. Market studies conducted on behalf of North American manufacturers predict a tenfold increase in the next few years. In the UK, Pultruded profiles fibreglass windows have been available only since the early 2000s.

Pultruded fibreglass windows offer a number of advantages over other types of window systems, as follows:

> Thermal performance. Pultruded fibreglass has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity that compares favourably with other low conductivity products like PVC or wood. Because of its great strength, profiles can be very thin, thus limiting the potential for cold bridging. Therefore, the thermal performance of the manufactured product is very good. 
> Strength. As shown in Table 1, pultruded FRP profiles have greater flexural and tensile strengths than other materials used in fenestration. Therefore, they are suitable for large openings without the need for metal reinforcements.

> Dimensional stability. Pultruded fibreglass has a low coefficient of linear expansion which is very similar to that of glass. Other window materials have much higher coefficients – aluminium’s is double that of glass and PVC’s is seven times greater. As a result, pultruded FRP frames do not distort due to thermal variations.

> Resistance to moisture. Pultruded fibreglass is virtually impervious to moisture, and therefore does not rot, warp, crack or twist.

> Chemical resistance. Pultruded profiles fibreglass is unaffected by chemicals or salt air, and is therefore suitable for coastal locations. 
> Appearance. As pultruded FRP profiles are dimensionally and hydroscopically stable, they are a good base for sophisticated finishing systems.

 

 

 

 

 

> Cost. Initial capital expenditure is higher than for PVC, aluminium or timber windows. However, a whole life cost study conducted by the Building Research Establishment concluded that over a 30-year period, pultruded FRP was more economical than PVC.

A relatively minor limitation of the product is that FRP grating cannot be welded, and therefore joints must be formed using adhesives.
Environmental considerations
There are a number of factors to be considered when assessing the environmental impact of pultruded FRP windows, among others:

> Resource depletion. Glass, which is silica based, accounts for approximately 65-85% of the components of FRP profiles. For all intents and purposes, sand can be considered an inexhaustible material. The polymer-based matrix is, of course, subject to the availability of oil for its production.

> Energy during manufacture. Because the main component is silica sand, this is low for FRP profiles.

> Gas release during manufacture. Unlike that of PVC, the manufacture of FRP profiles is a sealed operation, and the release of gases into the atmosphere can be closely controlled.

> Energy used during life. This is generally low, because of the good thermal performance of FRP. 
> Disposal. As previously explained, the thermoset resins used in FRP are not easily recyclable, and may, in due course, steer the industry towards the use of thermoplastics.

Pultruded profiles FRP has achieved an A rating in the latest BRE ‘Green Guide to Composites’, which is an environmental profiling system for composite materials and products published by BRE (‘A’ is the highest grade, ‘E’ the lowest). Table 2 compares the environmental impact of pultruded FRP windows with that of two alternatives.

 

 

from:ribajournal

Some of the products developed successfully under the Mission have already recorded significant milestone achievements and reached the threshold of commercialization. The salient Mission achievements include the following :
FRP Gear-Case for Railway Locomotives

Under the project FRP gear-cases for diesel & electric locomotives have been successfully developed and field-tested extensively. Against a development order received from Indian Railways, 60 nos. FRP gear-cases, have been fitted in the diesel locomotives and these are now fully operational. Another development order has been received from OEM supplier for the induction of 108 nos. FRP gear-cases in diesel locos.

FRP gear-cases for electric locomotives (Hitachi model) has also been developed. 36 nos. FRP gear-case for electric locomotives have been supplied against an order from Railways. The Indian Railways plan to induct FRP gear-cases for locomotives in a big way for regular use.

With the use of FRP beam , there has been a weight saving of 430 kgs. per loco. These gear-cases are expected to last for over 6 years in service as against merely 2 to 3 years of conventional steel gear-case. The cost benefit analysis has proved the superiority of FRP gear-case over MS ones on life-cycle basis.

 

No.	Tests	Observed Values (Avg.)	Specified Values
1.	Flexural Strength (MPa)	460	450
2.	Tensile Strength (MPa)	330	300
3.	Hardness (Rc)	119	115
4.	Izod Impact (Kg-Cm)	135	As Declared
5.	Water Absorption	0.12	0.5 Max
6.	Glass Content	64%	60% Min
7.	Specific Gravity	1.94	1.7-2.0
8.	Resistance to spread of flame	Passed (2 Sec)	To Pass (30Sec)
9.	Resistance to Boiling Water % Water Absorption % Reduction in Cross Breaking Strength	0.224 12.7	2% Max 20% Max

 

Extended life-cycle for the products along with a considerable weight savings, better maintainability makes it attractive against steel gear-cases.
Jute-Coir Composite Boards as Wood Substitutes

The project aimed at developing boards with oriented jute face veneer and coir/rubber wood waste inside as wood substitute. The jute-coir composite boards, being positioned as plywood & MDF substitutes have been developed & tested successfully.

Two major categories of composite boards namely, coir-ply boards (jute + rubber wood + coir) as plywood substitute and natural fibre reinforced boards (jute + coir) as MDF substitute have been developed under the project with superior performance, properties and great price advantages. The detailed properties of jute-coir boards tested as per IS-12406 against the specified values of MDF boards are given in Table 3.0.

 

Sl. No.	Tests	Observed Values (Average)			Specified Values
		Board Thickness
		8 mm	6 mm	4 mm	Exterior Grade	Interior Grade
1.	Cross Breaking Strength (Kgs./cm2) - Perpendicular to Grain Direction
a)	Before Boiling	318	391	373	275 (min.)
b)	After 8 Hrs. Boiling	266	270	240	150 (min.)
2.	Bulk Density (Kgs./cm3)	700	739	760	500-900
3.(a)	Moisture Content (%)	5.73	5.90	5.92	5-15	5-15
(b)	Variation from mean moisture content (%)	-2.1	+0.9	+1.2	+3.0	+3.0
4.	Max. water absorption (%)
(a)	After 2 Hrs. soaking	4.5	5.1	2.9	6	9
(b)	After 24 Hrs. soaking	9.1	9.2	6.8	12	18
5.	Max. linear expansion (% swelling in water)
(a)	Due to general absorption after 24 Hrs. soaking
i.	Thickness	Average value : 1.0			4	7
ii.	Length	Average value : 0.13			0.3	0.4
iii.	Width	Average value : 0.21			0.3	0.4

 

Two major categories of composite boards namely, coir-ply boards (jute + rubber wood + coir) as plywood substitute and natural fibre reinforced boards (jute + coir) as MDF substitute have been developed under the project with superior performance, properties and great price advantages. The detailed properties of jute-coir boards tested as per IS-12406 against the specified values of MDF boards are given in Table 3.0.Detailed evaluation of the jute-coir board samples has been carried out by Indian Railways for their applications as berth backings & partitions in railway coaches; the results conform to the railways' requirements. Based on the initial success of using 500 nos. jute-coir boards as MDF substitute in the railway coaches, the Indian Railways decided to induct 4000 nos. boards.

The industry partner has been offering the technology know-how (hard board grade, MDF grade, plywood grade & doors) for transfer to other industries to enable replication of the benefits accrued. The panel & flush doors made of jute-coir composite boards have also been introduced. These are fast gaining the market acceptance by construction agencies and others.

The project aiming at improving fan design to provide optimum efficiency suitable for specific air-flow and system pressure applications was launched in 1998 with technology support from IIT-Bombay, Mumbai. Five types of fans for cooling towers, mine ventilation, textile humidification, radiator cooling for diesel locomotives & air heat-exchangers were developed & tested successfully; an efficiency differential of around 20-30% with commensurate energy saving was achieved over conventional fans with aluminium impellers.

The test results of FRP grating vis-a-vis metallic fans are listed in Table 4.0. These fans promise a pay-back period of 2-3 months at current energy rates. Based on extensive field trials of two radiator cooling FRP fans fitted in diesel locomotives, the Indian Railways have inducted 10 nos. fans for such application.

The energy efficient FRP axial flow fans have been inducted for cooling tower, mine ventilation and other applications by leading Indian industries. The axial flow fans enjoy good export potential especially in the neighbouring countries, as there are very few manufacturers of FRP grating, mostly located in Europe and USA.

 

Sl. No.	Type of FRP Fan	Flow Rate M3/Sec.	Total Pressure mm water gauge	Shaft Power kW	FRP Fan Efficiency as Certified by User Agencies	Efficiency Improvement over Conventional Fan	FRP Fan Energy Savings over Conventional Fan
1.	Cooling Tower Fan+	240.47	8.48	23.24	86.06%	Superior	Superior
2.	Textile Mill Humidifier Fan *	19.04	34.83	-	78.01%	24.58%	Superior
3.	Mine Ventilation Fan+	48.60 to 81.00	92.83	89.63	59.40%	8.22%	21.96%
4.	Radiator Cooling Fan for Railway Diesel Locomotives*	49.76 to 60.21	88.56 to 102.98	74.95 to 78.60	65.67% to 70.24%	2.33% to 9.62%	1.86% to 4.60%
5.	Air-heat Exchanger Fan+	91.43 to 96.94	8.26 to 8.56	10.1 to 10.17	74.01% to 80.04%	20.79% to 21.09%	28.96% to 34.93%

 

FRP Pultruded Profiles

The project aimed at developing FRP profiles for industrial gratings, solid rods for electrical insulation, cable trays, ladders etc. These products have been developed successfully with excellent surface finish and flame retardancy as per international standards. The comparison chart of the properties of FRP Pultruded Profiles sections and other structural materials are listed in table 5.0 & 6.0.

 

Properties	Pultruded FRP	Rigid PVC	Mild Steel	Stainless Steel	Wood
Tensile Strength (N/mm2)	382	44	340	340	80
Flexural Strength (N/mm2)	468.3	70	380	380	12
Flexural Modulus (N/mm2)	22489	2400	196000	196000	700
Izod Impact (Kg.m/cm)	2.15	0.09	1.5	0.53

 

Properties	Pultruded FRP	Rigid PVC	Mild Steel	Stainless Steel	Wood
Specific Gravity	1.8	1.38	7.8	7.92	0.52
Thermal Conductivity (Kcal/hr/m2/° C)	24.4	6.4	1220	732.00	0.4
Coeff. of Linear Expansion (cm/cm° C) x 10-6	5.2	37	8	10	1.7
Safe Working Temp. (° C)	130	55	600	600	160
Flame Resistance	Good*	Poor	Excellent	Excellent	Poor
Corrosion Resistance
a. Acidic	Excellent	Good	Poor	Excellent	Poor
b. Alkaline	Good	Fair	Good	Excellent	Poor
c. Solvents	Fair	Poor	Good	Excellent	Fair
d. Coastal Environment	Excellent	Good	Poor	Excellent	Fair
e. Outdoor Exposure	Excellent	Poor	Fair	Excellent	Fair
f. Effluent Water	Excellent	Good	Poor	Excellent	Fair
g. Steam	Good	Poor	Fair	Excellent	Fair

 

Towards the market seeding for commercialisation of the pultruded product, the Company targeted three major segments viz. new projects, replacement market in industrial & non-industrial applications. Cable trays, gratings, channels & strips & other accessories are being supplied regularly to various industries in India. 

 

 

from:tifac.com

Composites for Railways

    * FRP Gear-Case for Railway Locomotive
    * Jute-Coir Composite Boards for Coach Interiors
    * FRP Pultruded Profiles
    * Jute-Glass Composites for Coaches
    * FRP Sleepers for Railway Girder Bridges
    * FRP Modular Toilet Units for Railway
    * Coaches Composite Main Door for Passenger & EMU Coaches
    * Radiator Cooling FRP Fan for Diesel Locomotives

Composite for Automobiles

    * Composite CNG Cylinders for Automobiles
    * Jute-Coir Composite Boards for Bus Interiors

Composites for Bio-Medical Applications

    * Carbon Fibre External Ring Fixators for Orthopaedics
    * Endoskeleton Type Tomposite Artificial Limbs for Physically Handicapped

Composites for Industrial Applications

    * Energy Efficient Axial Flow FRP Fans for various applications
    * Vacuum Forming Press for CompositesFabrication
    * FRP ArmouredOptical Fibre Cables
    * FRP Pultruded Profiles
    * Double-Walled FRP Vessels for Chemical Storage

Composites for Building & Construction

    * Jute-Coir Composite Boards for wardrobes, furniture, paneling, doors
    * FRP Doors & Windows
    * FRP Pultruded Profiles

The Mission targeted the aspect of energy conservation & energy saving in the sectors like transportation (automobiles & railways), process equipment etc. Lightweight coupled with high strength composites can replace conventional components such as metals, wood etc. in transportation thus directly contributing to energy savings.

The Mission has launched a few projects based on natural fibre composites especially for partial replacement of high-cost glass fibres for low load bearing applications such as partitions, door, panels and other interiors. Commercial exploitation of jute composites for non-structural applications has provided an excellent application & market potential.

Natural fibre composites reinforced with quickly renewable natural fibres such as jute, coir, sisal etc. as wood substitute can help preventing depletion of precious forest resources. Simultaneously, such natural fibre composites can be excellent value-addition avenues for the farmers and converters for novel applications far from the traditional means of using the FRP grating . With increasing emphasis on fuel efficiency, jute composites enjoy wider applications in automobiles and railway coaches.

The Mission has made a visible impact on Indian Railways by launching nine projects having direct relevance to railways. A few products have gone in a big way towards commercialization. The product has catered to stringent technical and safety requirements. The painstaking and concerted efforts over a prolonged period have gone in the conceptualization, design & development and further improvement of these composite products for the railways.

Towards an industry oriented technology incubation process, the Mission attempted to source the knowledge from various centres of excellence across the country and catalyzed an active partnership with the industries for technology absorption, development & dissemination.

An industry partner was involved in the projects for bridging the gap between the product development and market penetration. The Mission thus enhanced the confidence levels in the industries as well as R&D agencies to promote commercialization of composite technologies.
The material characterization, design methodology, product development, process parameters, quality control, testing & certification of Fiberglass mat products are of utmost importance for accepting the products by the end users. This can be met by in-house development of such facilities meeting Indian & international standards. The Mission has identified the prime need for creating such in-house testing capabilities for the industries.

Under the projects supported by the Advanced Composites Mission, the industries have set up automated in-house production, testing & quality control facilities for manufacturing composite products meeting the international standards & quality norms.

This has contributed significantly to the upgradation of composite technology in terms of basic design parameters, raw material selection, process of fabrication, testing, quality assurance and certification resulting in the development of novel composite products for a wide array of applications.

This aspect generated confidence among industry & the user. The products developed with upgraded technology are successful in replacing some of the imported ones with better efficiency & enhanced life. This has paved the way for good business potential in the domestic market as well as avenues abroad.

 

 

from: tifac.com

The Mission targeted the aspect of energy conservation & energy saving in the sectors like transportation (automobiles & railways), process equipment etc. Lightweight coupled with high strength composites can replace conventional components such as metals, wood etc. in transportation thus directly contributing to energy savings.

The Mission has launched a few projects based on natural fibre composites especially for partial replacement of high-cost glass fibres for low load bearing applications such as partitions, door, panels and other interiors. Commercial exploitation of jute composites for non-structural applications has provided an excellent application & market potential.

Natural fibre composites reinforced with quickly renewable natural fibres such as jute, coir, sisal etc. as wood substitute can help preventing depletion of precious forest resources. Simultaneously, such natural fibre composites can be excellent value-addition avenues for the farmers and converters for novel applications far from the traditional means of using the natural fibres. With increasing emphasis on fuel efficiency, jute composites enjoy wider applications in automobiles and railway coaches.

The Mission has made a visible impact on Indian Railways by launching nine projects having direct relevance to railways. A few Fiberglass mats have gone in a big way towards commercialization. The product has catered to stringent technical and safety requirements. The painstaking and concerted efforts over a prolonged period have gone in the conceptualization, design & development and further improvement of these composite products for the railways.

Towards an industry oriented technology incubation process, the Mission attempted to source the knowledge from various centres of excellence across the country and catalyzed an active partnership with the industries for technology absorption, development & dissemination.

An industry partner was involved in the projects for bridging the gap between the product development and market penetration. The Mission thus enhanced the confidence levels in the industries as well as R&D agencies to promote commercialization of composite technologies.

The Advanced Composites Mission also set up two stand-alone technology incubation centres. The details of such technology incubation activities are given under ‘Composites Development Cemtre’.
The material characterization, design methodology, product development, process parameters, quality control, testing & certification of Fiberglass fabric are of utmost importance for accepting the products by the end users. This can be met by in-house development of such facilities meeting Indian & international standards. The Mission has identified the prime need for creating such in-house testing capabilities for the industries.

Under the projects supported by the Advanced Composites Mission, the industries have set up automated in-house production, testing & quality control facilities for manufacturing composite products meeting the international standards & quality norms.

This has contributed significantly to the upgradation of composite technology in terms of basic design parameters, raw material selection, process of fabrication, testing, quality assurance and certification resulting in the development of novel composite products for a wide array of applications.

This aspect generated confidence among industry & the user. The products developed with upgraded technology are successful in replacing some of the imported ones with better efficiency & enhanced life. This has paved the way for good business potential in the domestic market as well as avenues abroad.

Milestone Achievements

Some of the products developed successfully under the Mission have already recorded significant milestone achievements and reached the threshold of commercialization. The salient Mission achievements include the following :

Under the project FRP gear-cases for diesel & electric locomotives have been successfully developed and field-tested extensively. Against a development order received from Indian Railways, 60 nos. FRP gear-cases, have been fitted in the diesel locomotives and these are now fully operational. Another development order has been received from OEM supplier for the induction of 108 nos. FRP gear-cases in diesel locos.

FRP ladder for electric locomotives (Hitachi model) has also been developed. 36 nos. FRP gear-case for electric locomotives have been supplied against an order from Railways. The Indian Railways plan to induct FRP gear-cases for locomotives in a big way for regular use.

With the use of FRP gear-cases (six nos. per locomotive), there has been a weight saving of 430 kgs. per loco. These gear-cases are expected to last for over 6 years in service as against merely 2 to 3 years of conventional steel gear-case. The cost benefit analysis has proved the superiority of FRP gear-case over MS ones on life-cycle basis.
Extended life-cycle for the products along with a considerable weight savings, better maintainability makes it attractive against steel gear-cases.
Jute-Coir Composite Boards as Wood Substitutes

The project aimed at developing boards with oriented jute face veneer and coir/rubber wood waste inside as wood substitute. The jute-coir composite boards, being positioned as plywood & MDF substitutes have been developed & tested successfully.

Two major categories of FRP beam namely, coir-ply boards (jute + rubber wood + coir) as plywood substitute and natural fibre reinforced boards (jute + coir) as MDF substitute have been developed under the project with superior performance, properties and great price advantages. The detailed properties of jute-coir boards tested as per IS-12406 against the specified values of MDF boards are given in Table 3.0.
Detailed evaluation of the jute-coir board samples has been carried out by Indian Railways for their applications as berth backings & partitions in railway coaches; the results conform to the railways' requirements. Based on the initial success of using 500 nos. jute-coir boards as MDF substitute in the railway coaches, the Indian Railways decided to induct 4000 nos. boards.

The industry partner has been offering the technology know-how (hard board grade, MDF grade, plywood grade & doors) for transfer to other industries to enable replication of the benefits accrued. The panel & flush doors made of jute-coir composite boards have also been introduced. These are fast gaining the market acceptance by construction agencies and others.
Energy Efficient Axial Flow FRP Fans

The project aiming at improving fan design to provide optimum efficiency suitable for specific air-flow and system pressure applications was launched in 1998 with technology support from IIT-Bombay, Mumbai. Five types of fans for cooling towers, mine ventilation, textile humidification, radiator cooling for diesel locomotives & air heat-exchangers were developed & tested successfully; an efficiency differential of around 20-30% with commensurate energy saving was achieved over conventional fans with aluminium impellers.

The test results of FRP fans vis-a-vis metallic fans are listed in Table 4.0. These fans promise a pay-back period of 2-3 months at current energy rates. Based on extensive field trials of two radiator cooling FRP fans fitted in diesel locomotives, the Indian Railways have inducted 10 nos. fans for such application.

The energy efficient FRP grating axial flow fans have been inducted for cooling tower, mine ventilation and other applications by leading Indian industries. The axial flow fans enjoy good export potential especially in the neighbouring countries, as there are very few manufacturers of FRP fans, mostly located in Europe and USA.
  FRP Pultruded Profiles

The project aimed at developing FRP Pultruded profiles for industrial gratings, solid rods for electrical insulation, cable trays, ladders etc. These products have been developed successfully with excellent surface finish and flame retardancy as per international standards. The comparison chart of the properties of FRP pultruded sections and other structural materials are listed in table 5.0 & 6.0.
Towards the market seeding for commercialisation of the pultruded product, the Company targeted three major segments viz. new projects, replacement market in industrial & non-industrial applications. Cable trays, gratings, channels & strips & other accessories are being supplied regularly to various industries in India.

 

 

from:tifac

Technology incubation has been an international experience in developing and promoting the novel technology applications. The relevance of technology incubation specially assumes importance in the context of a developing economy and industry as typified by India.

From its inception, the Advanced Composites Mission had explored different ways so as to evolve the single most effective mechanism for technology development for faster & wider applications. At the initial stage, the approach had been to locate the incubation activities within the premises of a national level publicly funded R&D lab or an academic institution with the outside support of an industry partner.

The model involved carrying out all the developmental activities and creation of Fiberglass fabric in the laboratory itself supported with major funding from the Mission. The strategy was based on the premise that in the event of successful development of technology, the industry would take it up further for commercialization.

Most of the targeted areas of development were of critical technology without a large usage base, mostly concerning aerospace applications of low-volume but high-value. The strategy lacked in the direct involvement of the users/stake holders (market perspective) in technology development. The industry partners being extraneous to the entire development exercise were not too keen on the outcome. The strategy is schematically illustrated by Fig.

 

 

 

 

 

In the later experiment, while the development & incubation activities still centred around the R&D labs, the industry partners were involved directly in die development, prototype fabrication and product testing. The technology incubation became a success with the product finding bulk application.

The case of developing FRP grating for railway girder bridges involving a defence R&D lab, a medium sized entrepreneur and most importantly, the user, Indian Railways, has been successful. The project was co-funded by Indian Railways and the Mission with the promise of large-scale replication.

After a whole gamut of simulated use tests by two national agencies and year-long field trials on actual condition, the FRP sleepers have now been inducted by the Indian Railways. With the knowledge replication, there are four FRP manufacturers in the country today capable of fabricating and supplying the sleepers catering to a large demand pattern. A schematic presentation of the second strategy is given in Fig. 

 

 

The most successful strategy of technology incubation has been the latest one wherein the actions were shifted to the premise of SMEs. The SMEs were nurtured with design & technology support from the centres of excellence e.g. IITs, CSIR labs etc. The knowledge partners extended support in terms of design, material selection, process optimization, equipment specifications & procurement, prototype development and finally product testing towards user acceptance.

In all such cases, a tripartite arrangement was arrived at where the centre of excellence, entrepreneur and the Mission worked together. The Mission introduced the unique methodology of project review and monitoring with the involvement of experts mostly drawn from the user agencies.

The technology incubation attributes such as attractive scheme of financial assistance, technological risk sharing, an effective programme management and knowledge-based project monitoring by experts coupled with the market intervention by reaching to the user agencies all helped the Mission to record its achievements in a short span and arrive at a threshold. The Mission functioned more as a ‘facilitator’ than merely a funding agency. The schematic representation of the proven strategy is given in Fig.

 

 

Sectors Targeted Towards Technology Development

Under the aforesaid Mission on Advanced Composites, a number of projects on novel composite applications such as Fiberglass mat for railway locomotives, high energy efficiency FRP axial flow fan, pultruded FRP profiles , jute-coir composite boards etc.were initiated in partnership with the industries across the country. There has been an intense interaction with major user agencies from important economic sectors towards product standardization, testing, approval & acceptance for wider induction.

 

 

from:tifac

FRP pultruded profiles windows were first produced in Canada in 1984, were subsequently introduced to the USA and European markets and are becoming increasingly popular. Market studies conducted on behalf of North American manufacturers predict a tenfold increase in the next few years. In the UK, pultruded fibreglass windows have been available only since the early 2000s.

Pultruded fibreglass windows offer a number of advantages over other types of window systems, as follows:

> Thermal performance. Pultruded fibreglass has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity that compares favourably with other low conductivity products like PVC or wood. Because of its great strength, profiles can be very thin, thus limiting the potential for cold bridging. Therefore, the thermal performance of the manufactured product is very good.

> Strength. As shown in Table 1, pultruded FRP profiles have greater flexural and tensile strengths than other materials used in fenestration. Therefore, they are suitable for large openings without the need for metal reinforcements.

> Dimensional stability. Pultruded fibreglass has a low coefficient of linear expansion which is very similar to that of glass. Other window materials have much higher coefficients – aluminium’s is double that of glass and PVC’s is seven times greater. As a result, pultruded FRP frames do not distort due to thermal variations.

> Resistance to moisture. Pultruded fibreglass is virtually impervious to moisture, and therefore does not rot, warp, crack or twist.

> Chemical resistance. Pultruded fibreglass is unaffected by chemicals or salt air, and is therefore suitable for coastal locations.

> Appearance. As FRP pultruded profiles are dimensionally and hydroscopically stable, they are a good base for sophisticated finishing systems.

> Cost. Initial capital expenditure is higher than for PVC, aluminium or timber windows. However, a whole life cost study conducted by the Building Research Establishment concluded that over a 30-year period, pultruded FRP was more economical than PVC.

A relatively minor limitation of the product is that FRP profiles cannot be welded, and therefore joints must be formed using adhesives.

Environmental considerations
There are a number of factors to be considered when assessing the environmental impact of pultruded FRP windows, among others:

> Resource depletion. Glass, which is silica based, accounts for approximately 65-85% of the components of FRP profiles. For all intents and purposes, sand can be considered an inexhaustible material. The polymer-based matrix is, of course, subject to the availability of oil for its production.

> Energy during manufacture. Because the main component is silica sand, this is low for FRP profiles .

> Gas release during manufacture. Unlike that of PVC, the manufacture of FRP profiles is a sealed operation, and the release of gases into the atmosphere can be closely controlled.

> Energy used during life. This is generally low, because of the good thermal performance of FRP.

> Disposal. As previously explained, the thermoset resins used in FRP are not easily recyclable, and may, in due course, steer the industry towards the use of thermoplastics.

Pultruded FRP has achieved an A rating in the latest BRE ‘Green Guide to Composites’, which is an environmental profiling system for composite materials and products published by BRE (‘A’ is the highest grade, ‘E’ the lowest). Table 2 compares the environmental impact of pultruded FRP windows with that of two alternatives.

Summary
The use of composites has been embraced wholeheartedly by the sports, aeronautic, car and maritime industries among others, but acceptance by the construction industry has been much more muted. In the UK, the BRE has created a specific forum called the Network Group for Composites in Construction with the aim of disseminating the advantages of composites throughout the building industry. Pultruded fibreglass window profiles, in particular, appear to offer the designer the opportunity of using very slim but strong and durable profiles suitable for large openings without compromising the ‘green’ credentials of the design.

 

 

from:ribajournal

Composite materials (composites for short) are engineering materials made up of two or more components which, although remaining separate and distinct, act in unison, each overcoming the deficiencies of the other. Combining the advantages of each element results in a material with broader and more attractive properties than its individual components. One of the two constituents acts as reinforcement and it is surrounded by the other, a matrix which transfers loads to it.

A very early example of composites is the use of mud bricks, with straw acting as reinforcement.

Reinforced concrete is a more modern example, where the poor compressive strength of steel is made up by the good performance of the concrete, with the opposite being true for tensile strength. Reinforcement materials used can be present in the form of particulates, discontinuous fibres (short fibres) or continuous fibres. Matrix products include metals, ceramics and plastics.

This overview of composites applied to windows will focus on glass fibre reinforced plastics (FRP grating ), where the matrix is a polymer and the reinforcement is carbon, glass or aramid fibres. Aramid is a synthetic long chain polyamide best known by its trade name Kevlar, used in the construction of bullet-proof vests. These reinforcement materials have very high tensile and compressive strengths, but in their natural form fail at levels lower than their theoretical limits because of surface flaws that cause them to crack. When the material is used in fibre form, these surface flaws are limited to a small number of fibres, whereas the remainder still behave to their theoretical limits.

The function of the matrix is to spread the load to the individual fibres, and also to protect them from damage resulting from abrasion and impact. Materials used for the matrix can be categorised as:
> Thermoset polymers, which are plastic resins that cure by chemical reaction when heated and, once cured, cannot be resoftened by heating. Their greatest advantage is that, because of their low viscosity, fibre impregnation can be carried out at low pressure. More than 90% of the polymers currently being used in composites are thermoset.

> Thermoplastic polymers, which are plastics capable of being repeatedly softened by increases in temperature and hardened by decreases in temperature. They are also tougher and FRP applications than thermosets, but are more expensive to process as this must be done at a much higher pressure. However, they are much more readily recyclable than thermosets and, in the future, this may swing the choice their way in spite of the additional costs. A recent innovation has been the development of a proprietary patented product consisting of fibreglass reinforcement fibres in a PVC-U matrix, which is a thermoplastic polymer.

Various polymers are currently used as the matrix constituent, including: polyester resin; vinyl ester resin; epoxy; polyimide; polypropylene, etc.

The properties of a composite are determined by:

> the properties of the reinforcement

> the properties of the matrix

> the ratio of fibre to matrix (called fibre volume fraction). This is adjusted accurately during the impregnation process to suit the intended product use and ensure an even distribution. Although, in theory, a very high FRP profiles volume fraction would result in higher mechanical properties, there is a practical limit because all fibres need to be fully impregnated.

> the geometry and orientation of the fibre in the composite. The diameter of the fibre is of great importance, as finer fibres have proportionally a larger surface area, and therefore the loads transferred by the matrix are spread more efficiently. Composites have anisotropic properties, ie, properties that are direction-specific as a result of the orientation of the fibres.

In the construction industry, pre-impregnated materials, ie, materials where the reinforcement has been pre-impregnated with resin before forming are the most commonly used ones, as opposed to those where the reinforcement is added to the matrix at the moulding stage. There are two basic types of pre-impregnated FRPs:

> unidirectional, where the impregnated fibres are aligned in one direction only and

> woven, which is a resin-impregnated fabric.

The composite must then be formed in the required shape/profile, generally by moulding. Until recently, this has necessitated high temperature and/or pressure, with associated high costs. However, the advent of low temperature moulding materials has simplified the process and lowered costs allowing possible on-site processing without the need for autoclaves and manufacturing shops.

The very high strength-to-weight ratio of composite materials makes them very suitable for structural long span applications, and their flexibility allows complex shapes to be formed, for example, lightweight cladding panels. Durability is also high, and life cycle and maintenance costs are low.

Fiberglass mat
Since its invention in 1938, fibreglass reinforced plastic (FRP) also known as GRP (glass reinforced plastic) has grown in popularity and now accounts for approximately 65% of composite production.

Fibreglass fibres are extruded molten glass (usually silica based, but not exclusively so) fibres, braided into bundles to form a continuous rope. FRP is produced by combining a polymer matrix with fibreglass reinforcements, either cut into short strands or woven into a cloth. The ratio between matrix and reinforcement is generally 65-85% resin and 15-35% reinforcement. All FRP products are thermosets.

Different grades of Fiberglass fabric can be produced by varying the composition of the glass used for the fibres, for example:

> E-Glass, which has good electrical properties

> C-Glass, offering the best resistance to chemical attack, etc

> R-, S- or T-Glass are not grades, they simply refer to proprietary trade names from various manufacturers.

When the FRP has been woven into a cloth, it is then moulded into shape. There are various moulding techniques, including open moulding, which produces only one good, finished surface and a rough one, and autoclave and vacuum moulding, which produce two finished surfaces. However,FRP pultruded profiles can also be formed into continuous profiles by means of a process called pultrusion.

In the extrusion process, the material to be formed is pushed through a die, but fibre-reinforced composites need to be pulled instead. This process is called pultrusion (the name is a portmanteau word derived from the words ‘pull’ and ‘extrusion’).

Figure 1 explains the pultrusion process in schematic form: the reinforcement fibres are pulled through a resin bath, where they are impregnated, through a forming plate that confers the composite its profile section and then finally into a heated die where the resin is polymerised. As it cools down, the profile solidifies and is eventually cut into the required lengths.

The process of pultrusion has several advantages:

> it is a fast, economic way of impregnating and curing materials

> volatile emissions can be limited because resin impregnation takes place in enclosed surroundings

> resin and fibre content can be accurately controlled

> structural properties of laminates can be good since the profiles have very straight fibres and high fibre volume fractions can be obtained.

An even more recent development is the process of co-pultrusion, where two or more materials pass through a single die, and the resulting product is a laminate profile, where each ply of the laminate confers to it a desired property (for example, resistance to some specific environment, stiffness, etc).

Pultruded fibreglass products are very strong, dimensionally stable and durable, and can be formed accurately into sophisticated profiles. It is therefore not surprising that they are now increasingly being used in the manufacture of windows and doors. Table 1 compares the mechanical and physical properties of pultruded profiles with those of other materials.

 

 

from:ribajournal

The project on 'Development of FRP Pultruded Profiles' was launched under the Advanced Composites Mission of TIFAC in August 1998 in partnership with M/s. Sucro Filters Ltd., Pune with technology support from National Chemical Laboratory, Pune. Sucro Filters has been working on pultrusion process, pultruded profiles and development of pultrusion dies with the NCL since January, 1998.

NCL support towards pultrusion die design, optimization of process parameters, resin formulation, selection of catalyst combinations in the resin etc. helped achieve a high pultrusion speed of 1.0-1.5 m/min with improved curing. Flame retardancy characteristics as per UL94V0 was achieved using halogenated resin & ATH (aluminium trihydrate) combination in pultruded FRP profiles.

The pultruded profiles like I-beams, channels, angles, flat strips, notch bars for FRP grating , cable-trays & ladders and solid rods for electrical insulation, etc. developed under the project were tested for mechanical & physical properties. The properties compared very favourably with the internationally available products.
Pultrusion is the most cost-effective method for the production of fibre-reinforced composite structural profiles. It brings high performance composites down to commercial products such as light-weight corrosion free structures, electrical non-conductive systems, off-shore platforms and many other innovative new products.

 

 

Based on the success of initial pultrusion trials at NCL, an associate Company, M/s. D K Fibre Forms Ltd. (DKFFL), Pune was promoted by Sucro Filters towards diversifying into the business of pultruded products. D K Fibre Forms has already set up quite a sophisticated pultrusion equipment & stabilized the process. A tool room equipped with radial drilling machine, plano milling machine & surface grinding machine and allied testing facilities for fabrication of pultrusion dies has been created at Sucro Filters with the assistance from TIFAC.

Towards the market seeding for commercialisation of the pultruded product , the Company targeted three major segments viz. new projects, replacement market in industrial & non-industrial applications. The orders for gratings for Alfa Laval, High Explosives Factory, Thermax Ltd., Pudamjee Pulp & Paper Mills etc. and also for railway coach interiors for the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai have been executed. Various applications & usage of the product have been actively pursued and the product has been recognized by acclaimed consulting agencies such as Humphrey & Glasgow, Uhde, Tata, EIL, Bechtel etc. DKFFL has recently bagged an order for supplying cable trays, fittings & other accessories to M/s Dabhol Power Project (DPP) as per the specifications of M/s Bechtel International Inc., the prime consultant for DPP.

The amount of energy required for fabricating FRP composite materials for structural applications with respect to conventional materials such as steel & aluminium is lower and would work for its economic advantage in the end.

 

from:tifac